Insomnia
by hell-butterfly
Summary: Temari is having trouble going to sleep. Something is on her mind. Kankuro notices her abnormal behavior and decides to find out what is pestering his sister... ShikaTema
1. Sleeplessness

**Title:** Insomnia

**Author:** winterHLepsilon

**Pairing:** Shikamaru X Temari

**Rating: **K+

**Summary: **Temari is having trouble going to sleep. Something is on her mind. Kankuro notices her abnormal behavior and decides to find out what is pestering his sister.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Why would I? It's all Kishimoto-sensei's.

**Note:** This is my first fanfic… I just love these two!

xxx

CHPT 1 Sleeplessness

She lay wide awake on her bed , staring up dully at the blank ceiling as the pale moonlight drew whimsical shapes across it.

The air was dry, too dry for comfort. In the desert, it's difficult to go to sleep peacefully.

She rolled over and cursed. Heat was not her problem. She had been accustomed to it after all these years. After all, the Sand is her home.

She rolled over again. It was past midnight and she had no intention of falling asleep.

What the hell is she having insomnia about? She mused aloud. It was not usual for her to muse anyway. She doesn't like to have too many fussy, _girly _thoughts. She is a kunoichi of the Sand and there's no time for her to muse over things except missions.

_The hell with it!_

Temari tossed her pillow aside and strode over to the closet by which her trusted weapon lay. She picked it up, thought for a minute before dumping it back down. Then she started pacing restlessly in her room. 

She thought she knew the cause of her anger, her despair, her discomfort. She was just too unwilling, too scared to admit it.

That _he_ was growing on her.

That she was starting to think about _him_ whenever she stares up at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

That his lazy smile loomed in her dreams and his lazy posture as he cloud-gazed always haunted her.

That she had to admit it. Damn it, but she was actually _falling for_ him----the laziest ninja of Konoha who had not so much as a drip of motivation inside.

Yet, she sank into her bed painfully, he was so gentle, so…charming?

Temari pinched herself angrily. She was not to be hindered by worldly emotions. She was not to be hurt by this thing called love, for love can make one weak, and weakness was the last thing she needed.

Or is she?

So now she was in a terrible state, torn and confused. Maybe it was the moment he defeated her and then declared forfeit. Maybe it was the moment his eyes widened at her smile. Maybe it was the moment he broke down in front of her after the Sasuke debacle. She didn't have the slightest idea how and now she had found, out of the blue, that she was quickly falling in love with him----the sexist lazyass!

_Why is he always on my mind?_ She wondered.

Gentle footsteps stopped outside her door as somebody tiptoed across the corridor.

'Who the hell is that!' She flung open her door and narrowed her eyes at the figure lurking in the shadows. 'Step out, Kankuro. There's no use hiding.'

Her brother reluctantly withdrew from the dark.

'Eavesdropping, are you?' Temari crossed her arms and breathed down her brother's neck, her eyes glaring dangerously. 'Fifth time I caught you here!'

'No, I'm not!' Kankuro retorted defiantly.

'Then how can you explain yourself, prowling around the house like a cat at one in the morning?' Temari stormed, thudding her fan on the floor.

'Just a glass of milk.' Kankuro sighed. 'Aren't you a bit edgy these days? And you're lacking sleep, you've got shadows under your eyes just like Gaara's and you know why _he_ is like that.'

Temari snorted.' Mind _your own_ business first. Now get off to bed.'

TO BE CONTINUED

R&R please!


	2. Over the Breakfast Table

**Insomnia**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

XXX

Thanks to _Kurayami no Sayokyoku__, bakusense_i and _AriesFalcon_ for your reviews. For a starter like me I really need encouragement (just don't kick me if I fail to live up to good standards ;-) )

Here goes the next chapter…I just hope it doesn't suck that much…

XXX

**CHPT 2 Over the Breakfast Table**

_The clouds are floating peacefully in a bright blue sky. She was lying on a stretch of grass staring up into the sky. It was just another plain day out here, but then suddenly the clouds sped up to form a face against the vivid blue background…his face…with that lazy, unconcerned expression on his face…The wind started blowing all of a sudden and things suddenly became oddly blurred…She sat up and looked around, to see him standing not far from herself, leaning on a tree with his hands pocketed…_

She felt strangely disorientated as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Streaks of light were cast casually on the floor; it was already dawn. She couldn't have had more than 5 minutes of sleep.

Shaking her head, Temari leapt out of her bed and started chucking all the woeful things she had written on paper subconsciously the previous night into the bin.

Temari stared at her reflection in the mirror. She thought that her brother had been right; she did look gaunter than she used to be, and there were heavy shades under her weary eyes_. I'm not as spirited and brisk as before_, she thought. _But this is my falt is it? It has nothing to do with him, really… _

When she appeared at the breakfast table 5 minutes later, Kankuro and Gaara were already there. She recognized a furtive look I Kankuro's face. Trying to ignore this, she plodded herself down at the table and picked up her chopsticks.

'I say, Temari, you do have something on your mind these days, you appear wearier and wearier each day…' Kankuro struck up another attempt.

'Never you mind,' Temari said dismissively, prodding her food with her chopsticks. 'I told you to mind your own business.'

'Look, I don't like you being like this…'

Temari cut across him, 'But you won't even let me eat in peace!'

'I just thought…'

'If you are trying to wheedle stuff out of me then I'm not speaking to you!'

'I'm not…'

'You're unnaturally nosy, you bastard, stop asking me what is wrong with me, I'm perfectly fine!'

'I've let you have your own ways enough, Temari, I'm not putting up with it anymore!'

'Hark who's speaking! And I thought _I'm_ the oldest here!'

'You're my sister, naturally I want to know what's going on…'

'Of course I understand that perfectly well, but---' She emphasized the words, 'I DON"T LIKE THE WAY YOU"RE DOING IT!'

Then without bothering to finish her breakfast, Temari stood up and marched across the room.

'Temari, wait.'

She stopped instinctively and looked across the room at Gaara.

'I've got a task for you to go into Konoha with plans for the alliance.'

Temari's eyes widened. 'But I thought you said that I had been removed from the post…'

'We're lacking messengers at the moment, and as you've been on the job for a long time, you ought to know the village perfectly well, so we're sending you as a substitute. I shall discuss the matter with you in detail this afternoon.'

Temari's heart raced. Alliance meant Konoha, and Konoha undoubtedly meant to her…She thought her brothers must have noticed the half astonished, half longing look on her face, because both were looking at her with a peculiar expression. Hastily rearranging her face, she said, trying to sound as indifferently as she could, 'Well, OK then.' Throwing a dirty look at Kankuro, Temari walked out of the room.

The door slammed.

Kankuro cast a look at the door, then he muttered to Gaara, 'She wasn't like it before. Now she freaks out every time I try to ask her a question. I wonder…' He looked at the wall thoughtfully for a moment, 'Hey, doesn't it have something to do with…you know…'

* * *

So that goes for Chapter 2! I hope it isn't too bad…well, R&R pls! And no flamers! 


	3. Chance and Disappointment

**Insomnia**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

XXX

Thanks to all the reviews! Especially _cherz, IQSymphic_ (I just need more time and I will TRY to write longer), _SILENT TROWA, allyluv, AriesFalcon _(thanks for saying so, but, I'm not a ShikaIno fan, sorry if I don't put ShikaIno here) uh and pretty much everybody else! Oh and, I'm not writing too much about Gaara coz I fear I can't master him that well, um, but I'll try anyway, _Konoha Ninja Sasuke's lover_…

XXX

CHPT 3 Chance and Disappointment 

Kankuro stood in the corridor, on one side of which stood the locked door to his sister's room. He hesitated for a while, scanning up and down the corridor, before putting his hand on the door handle. _She must have locked it, but it was worth a try, _he thought, as the handle turned and the door clicked open. _Strange isn't it? She always leaves it locked…_

Kankuro stepped into the scarcely furnished room he had known vaguely from previous visits, but it didn't look quite the same. Admittedly, the last time he was here was about 5 years ago, and its owner had certainly changed it a lot since his last visit.

Temari's room now appeared even barer than before. She seemed to have removed most of the furniture, and most of the personal objects had already been stowed away.

As he closed the door behind him and looked around, he noted that it looked much simpler, too simple for a girl's room. It could not have been distinguished from a boy's room if it had not been for the fact that there was less clutter strewn across the room ----well, making it a little bit neater than his own.

Feeling a little guilty, he strolled across the room. _Well, it's her fault she doesn't care a damn what I think! Then I'll try to find out on my own!_ He walked passed the closet in which Temari stored her weapons, and the worn wardrobe beside it, reaching the small bed in the corner. At the foot of the bed was a desk, on which lay several books on tactics, an old pen stand, a couple of minuscule fans he had given her for her birthday and an open notepad. He glanced at the blank pages: nothing was written in it, but pages seemed to have ripped off the pad rather violently. A half-curtained window above the desk cast a few rays of light upon the desktop, illuminating the few possessions on it.

Shrugging slightly, Kankuro turned to Temari's bedside table. He guessed there was little to be gleaned from his intrusion; his sister seemed to conceal her secrets fairly well. _Doesn't look like it, does she?_

There was an old-fashioned oil lamp on the bedside table, next to a very battered looking clock (one of its hands was snapped)-----he remembered Temari chucking it at him on his last visit, missing his head by two inches and it smashed into the wardrobe instead. He grinned ruefully at this. He supposed the reason she flung it at him led to his being banned from her room since. He found a heavy crystal locket on the table, too; he didn't remember her ever wearing it, but judging from its location she treasured it considerably. The locket contained nothing more than a few leaves; he couldn't make out why she put them in there.

Kankuro prepared to leave the room when his attention was drawn to the revolving photo stand behind the clock. Temari had put only two pictures on it before, but she had increased the number. He bended over for a look at it just out of interest: there were the old photos, one of the team and another of the family (taken many years ago, when both their parents were alive; Gaara obviously wasn't in it); there were newly-added ones, one of Gaara becoming Kazekage, one of himself (he thought it looked rather foolish), one of Temari on her first day as jounin, and, turning the stand slowly with his hand, another picture, depicting somebody outside the family…somebody who wasn't even a Sand shinobi…

_Uh-oh._ Kankuro's gaze froze as he studied the photo carefully. He knew that person, definitely, one sunny day in the stone arena in another village…_So you have not been able to conceal it as well, Temari…I know now, I can put two and two together…Now the problem is, should I tell Gaara, or should I keep it for you?_

XXX

Temari felt disgruntled as she trudged up the road leading to the Leaf village. It was not her first visit, but something just didn't feel right…

Nevertheless, when she finally found herself at the grand gate of the village, all feelings of glumness seemed to drop out of her, as she stared at the symbols on the gate. This place, this foreign village, felt strangely like home to her.

After setting an appointment with the Hokage for next morning, Temari decide to kill the hours by roaming the streets. She felt strangely lonely…well, she guessed she shouldn't have shouted at Kankuro like that, he would gladly hang out with her if she wanted to (well, she supposed it was just due to the fact that he would receive highly painful whacks on the head if he refused)…but then, when she was alone in the Leaf, she still had somebody to accompany her----

Temari drew up short. _Hang on_, she thought, _I didn't catch sight of him in the Hokage's building today!_

And without stopping to consider, her feet carried her off towards the hills and grass around the village, the perfect place for cloud-gazing. 

The clouds were floating lazily across the sky, but there was no sight of a certain ponytailed lazyass. Feeling thoroughly disappointed, Temari turned her back on the place (she would have done so anyway, after she had seen the closely wrapped couple she made out to be a certain Inuzuka and a Hyuuga) and wandered gloomily back to the main streets of the village. 

_Where would he be now? _Her mind worked furiously and the next minute she was outside the Nara estate. She dithered a bit ob the spot, contemplating whether it would be suitable for her to turn up on his doorstep all of a sudden, before putting out a hand to ring the doorbell. Her hand had barely reached it when a voice sounded behind her, 'Good morning, Temari-san.' 

Jumping up in shock, Temari spun around, her hand leaping to her weapon instinctively----'Oh, hello, Chouji.' 

The fat, bulky boy was cramming chips into his mouth as usual. Crunching loudly, he said, 'How come you are here?' 

Surprised that he would ask, Temari replied, 'On a mission, of course.' And on catching his eyes roving between her and the house---he had to know who lived there did he---she added hastily, 'I'm just wandering around, y'know.' 

'Oh,' Chouji said. 

There was silence except for Chouji chewing loudly. Then, before Temari could issue a question about the whereabouts of Chouji's best friend, he said, quite unexpectedly, 'Shikamaru is not in the village for the moment. He has gone on a mission to the Sound.' 

Eyes widening, Temari stared at Chouji for a few moments, before saying, 'Oh well, that's all right with me, and, er, I think I'm going back to my hotel.' 

Then, she added in a quiet voice, 'Thank you.' Before turning away from the house and along the road. 

She thought she had seen a rather knowing look in Chouji's eyes. 

XXX   
So, the end of this chapter! How is it, guys? R&R pls! And by the way, what do you think of my language, coz I'm not a native speaker y'know. 


	4. Encounter

**Insomnia**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

XXX

Thanks to all the reviewers, (esp. cherz, allyluv, alliedoll, Flame-Kunoichi) I love your reviews everybody!

Guess I'm quite slow now, well, but it's due to my school starting, so I hope that you can forgive the delay in update, but hopefully this is the last chapter.

XXX

CHPT 4 Encounter

'So you see what this means? Temari has fallen for that bloke from the Leaf and she is BOUND to run away with him I'm sure of that!'

'Now, don't overexert yourself on this, Kankuro,' Gaara said with the slightest trace of reproach.

Kankuro stopped ranting on about Temari's misgivings, breathing very hard. 'Then, what's your say on this, Gaara?'

Gaara looked at Kankuro for a moment before saying slowly, 'It's dodgy behavior to sneak into your sister's room when she's not here and rummage in her things for evidence of what she might be doing.'

'Oh well, then…it's not exactly what I…I mean, if she doesn't say anything on this, then I'll try to find out by myself! I mean, I AM her brother aren't I?'

'Then I think…that we should respect her choice, and let her do what her heart desires her to do. We shall not stop her being happy, and she is happy with that boy, then let it be. We should…trust that her personal decision is correct.'

'But…but…of course I have Temari's interests at heart, and that's why I don't think _this_ man----'he jabbed at the picture very hard,'----can give her happiness she needs!'

'Temari has her own reasons for this, and if you insist we can ask her when she returns from the Leaf.'

'Oh, well then…'Kankuro looked rather scandalized. 'I'd definitely have a chat with her when she returns.'

XXX

_Why is this happening all the time?_

_Why am I troubled by such earthly feelings?_

Temari paced in her dimly lit hotel room, as the pale moon cast its pale light on the ground. She felt oddly chilly and cold as she walked from one end of the room to the other.

Her mission had been complete, and she should go back to her village the next day. But in the deeper corners of her heart she felt disappointment and sadness, for she hadn't seen him once these days. He had not yet returned from the mission.

_Sometimes I feel like I can't understand myself._

_What is it that I'm doing?_

She was caught up in alternating pangs of conscience and reason and torrents of innermost emotions and desires. The waves rushed over her, torturing her. She felt like she had been torn.

She could not go to sleep, as the clock chimed one.

_Oh what the bloody hell!_

Temari stopped dead in her tracks, feeling dizzy and distracted. Then, acting on a sudden impulse, she wrenched open the door and stepped out into the dark corridor.

Minutes later she was standing on the deserted roof of the building, breathing in the fresh air deeply. The moon was shining placidly above, untroubled and peaceful.

She walked past a swaying lantern on a post and sat down on the edge of the roof, her knees huddled, and buried her face in her hands.

_I need some sense to be knocked into me. _

It felt as if a war was raging in her, one side pressing her with cool reason, the other egging her on heartily with impulse. Sometimes she felt like she couldn't decide on the things herself.

_I need to get rid of this. And quickly._

She sat there for some time, as the cool breeze brushed against her gently. She was trying to calm down, to soothe the ripples of her heart.

And that was when she heard it.

There was a soft rustle of somebody darting on to the roof lightly, but she caught the sound with her usual shrewdness.

'Who's there?' She barked in alarm, whipping out her fan. The lantern swayed in the breeze, shadows moving eerily in its changing light.

Then, without warning, she felt her body become strangely stiff, as if it were not hers anymore. Her fingers loosened their grip automatically and she dropped her fan.

This sensation was strangely familiar…And with her heart pounding very fast, she realized what it must be…or rather, _who_ it must be…

A person emerged from nowhere and her body was suddenly flexible again, as the pony tailed boy stepped up to her slowly, almost half-heartedly, and met her astounded gaze.

'Nice to see you here, Temari.'

Her mouth suddenly felt dry as she replied in a strangled sort of voice, 'Fancy seeing you here too…Shikamaru.'

He shrugged and lay down on the floor without further ado. Temari looked at him for a few seconds and followed suit, plopping down beside him.

'What an hour it is,' She said, trying to sound casual. 'I wouldn't imagine you to appear here, at this hour, and of all the places.'

'Just a change,' He said after a while. 'Tough mission. I've only just come back. Seems to be a good choice to come up here and look at the stars.'

'Typical,' She said, smiling secretly.

They looked up into the sky for some time, neither breaking the silence that stretched between. Yet she felt that to be just next to him, to feel his presence, was already more than enough.

'Why are you here today?' He said to her suddenly. 'I haven't seen you for a while.'

'Temporary mission,' Temari told him. 'For the alliance.'

'I see.' Shikamaru stared at the stars and said, quite inconsequentially, 'The stars are bright today.'

'They are.' Temari yawned.

Shikamaru turned to look at her. 'Say, why are you up at this hour? You look as though you need more rest.'

'I…well I…' Temari stuttered, 'It's nothing really. It's just that…'

Then she heaved a sigh and said, 'I don't think it's necessary for you to know anyway. And, you shouldn't be here with me in the first place.' She paused for a second, 'Because your girlfriend won't be pleased.'

She didn't know why she said that herself, but the terrible feeling in her heart suddenly managed to spill out of her. Perhaps she could no longer keep secrets in front of this certain person.

'Since when have you thought that of me?' Shikamaru asked in a clearly astounded voice.

'Well…' Temari closed her eyes. She suddenly felt a strange urge to cry. 'You have always been with that girl, Ino.'

He frowned. 'Haven't I hung out with you all the time? And Ino and I are just teammates and friends, that's all.'

Temari felt as though something had erupted inside her.

'I thought that you would have known by now.' He added.

'But I…'Temari faltered, 'But I thought…you haven't said anything! You haven't promised me anything, and I'm an outsider, how am I supposed to know…_that_?'

She was fighting back her tears now.

'It's just too---'

'Troublesome, I know!' She flared up all at once. 'Excellent reason for that, you bastard!' And she whacked him on the head.

'I didn't mean to…' He glanced at her,'…make you uncomfortable or anything…but if the feelings are mutual…'

He stopped.

'I do care for you, Temari…I was afraid that you didn't feel the same…'

'Of course I do, you idiot! How thick can you be?'

'You aren't any better.'

'Oh well…nice to make that out…but that means, I will be able to come more often? No trouble about that?'

'Definitely not.'

She sniffed. She didn't feel like crying anymore. That was strange.

'And you'll be welcome at my house at any time. I promise.'

She smiled at this.

'And I think, that it's really late now. You should get some sleep.'

'Yes, I think I would. Good night.' She scrambled to her feet, and took a few steps toward the door to the roof.

Then, suddenly, without knowing how she did it, Temari turned and whispered, 'Thank you.'

And she ran to his side, seized him by the neck, and kissed him.

And as he locked her in his embrace, as she listened to the steady pounding of his heart, Temari knew, that her insomnia had been cured, once and for all.

And she knew, that he would be the one and only person to be able to do so.

XXX

Phew! Finished at last! Hope I didn't screw up the most important part, I feel that I'm dreadful at fluff! Anyway, R&R people!


End file.
